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Project invests in restoring native vegetation and managing water resources in the coffee chain in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais

In Minas Gerais, an initiative involves different actors to promote sustainable landscapes and the conservation of native vegetation

by Luana Luizy, Communication Advisor, International Education Institute of Brazil

Companion that is part of the daily lives of thousands of people worldwide, the coffee it is a product of strong expression in world culture. In Brazil, the state of Minas Gerais stands out in the production of this grain, being, today, one of the largest international exporters. Thus, the coffee activity needs to be developed with an environmental balance between fauna and flora.

Thus, coffee production is of no use without thinking about the sustainability, since this product requires a balance between a series of environmental factors, which permeate a soil rich in nutrients and strong irrigation for the cultivation of this grain. Climate threats today represent a threat to their cultivation.

Based on this, the Cerrado das Águas Consortium (CCA) emerged in 2019, with the goal of involve different actors in the coffee production chain on a collaborative platform to restore native vegetation and monitor the quality of water in rivers and soils, in order to guarantee sustainable coffee production and efficient management of water resources in the region of the mining triangle. Representatives of cooperatives, NGOs and large companies, such as Nespresso, and Lavazza, participate in the Consortium.

The objective of bringing these different actors together was to ensure resilience to climate change that interfere in hydrographic basins, restore the provision of ecosystem services, from the strengthening ecological corridors - “Areas that join fragments of native vegetation or protected areas that are separated by human interference”[1] -, and promote positive impacts on the Cerrado of Minas Gerais.

Rural producers restore degraded areas in the Córrego Feio region in Minas Gerais. Photo: CCA Collection

The rural producer, Ricardo Bartholo, one of the beneficiaries of the CCA project, comments that the initiative strengthens the availability of water in Córrego Feio & #8211; source that supplies the population and is also used for agricultural activities in the municipality of Patrocínio, in Minas Gerais.

“The Consortium has brought a more objective view for us producers. It is great to see large companies aware of sustainability in coffee production. I am convinced that we will have an increase in the water supply. With that I can use more water to irrigate my coffee plantation, because today I have a limitation on the amount I can extract ”, he says.

Within the platform, companies in the coffee production chain are committed to donating a financial contribution to the maintenance and investment of river basin restoration. "We look at native vegetation, water resources, the amount of water inside the basins, the connected landscapes, the involvement and connection of producers, the institutional engagement and the local community within this collaborative platform that is the CCA", explains Fabiane Sebaio, executive director of the Cerrado das Águas Consortium.

Investing in the producer

Attention to small producer it is also one of the action axes of the Cerrado das Águas Consortium, through the Conscious Producer Investment Program (PIPC). “This program starts with a contact with the producers, so that we can talk about what the Consortium is; we explain that their property is part of the hydrographic basin, the concept of it, we make a diagnosis and a visit to the producers' property, we also suggest if we can invest in their territory, we draw up a plan; from it, we set up a workshop, where we discussed with the processes ”says Fabiane Sebaio.

The central objective of the PIPC is to establish and implement a strategy to restore provision of ecosystem services in the basin, in the long term, through a process of effective involvement with local producers and actors. The main concern of the program is the areas of native vegetation, explains Fabiane: “We need to make the producer understand that his property is within the basin and that any and all mobilization for the restoration and water quality of the basin is extremely important. We consider the engagement of the producer to be very important in this process. Where do I need to restore to be effective in this process? ”.

Merganser: water bird threatened with extinction. Photo: André Dib / Pato-Mergulhão Project Collection

The program's goal was to reach 100 hectares in seven municipalities in the Minas Gerais Cerrado; one of the chosen areas, the Córrego Feio basin in Patrocínio, is where the Merganser, a bird native to the Cerrado threatened with extinction, which depends on extremely conserved aquatic environments for its survival.

Partnership with the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

The Cerrado das Águas Consortium has the support of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) It's from Brazilian International Institute of Education (IEB) to be executed, but the greatness of the project presented a challenge: that of promote the adoption of best practices in agriculture in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais and bring together companies competing with the coffee chain, all for the same interest - the conservation of native areas and water resources in the Cerrado.

However, all the resources invested were not limited only to restoration, but also to dialogue with the producer, the development of an application that maps degraded areas, the effort to bring together competing companies in the coffee chain. Thus, CEPF resources and IEB support were fundamental in the process of building the team's methodology and investing in properties.

“In this scenario of producer engagement, it is the greatest legacy with the project to make this movement so that the producer takes more care of his property, so that there is a change in mentality about what is a sustainable farm, how I provide climate resilience, understanding that the climate brings together a series of factors and that the crops of these producers provide restoration ”explains Fabiane Sebaio.

know more about the Cerrado das Águas Consortium: http://cerradodasaguas.org.br/

[1] “What are Ecological Corridors”. Environmental Dictionary. ((o)) echo, Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 2014. Available at:

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of the French Development Agency, Conservation International, the European Union, Global Environmental Management, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A key goal is to ensure that civil society is involved in biodiversity conservation.

 

New climate smart investment arrangement aims to promote sustainable land and water use in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais

original text available via IUCN

Global coffee brands and environmental organizations support innovative program led by Cerrado Water Consortium

Sponsorship, Minas Gerais, Brazil, August 8, 2019 & #8211; An innovative and smart investment arrangement to protect biodiversity and water supplies in the country's central highlands began this month, according to the Cerrado Water Consortium, supported by some of the world's leading coffee brands and conservation organizations.

Based on an IUCN-led project and initial support from Nespresso, the major coffee brands Nestlé and Lavazza and trading company Expocaccer have now joined forces to make a five-year commitment to support the Cerrado das Águas Consortium initiative. Minas Gerais Cerrado, one of the main coffee growing areas in Brazil and a worldwide recognized biodiversity hotspot.

The Consortium plans to invest in protection of natural ecosystems found in 124 properties along the Feio River basin in the state of Minas Gerais, which is increasingly threatened by unsustainable land use, inefficient water use and climate change. The region is responsible for 12% of national coffee production.

& #8220; Promote the restoration and conservation of ecosystem services as insurance against climate change This important landscape is one of the main objectives of the investment program & #8221 ;, says Guilherme Amado, Nespresso manager in Brazil. & #8220; At the pilot site in Patrocinio, where the whole municipality and coffee growers depend on this single basin, farmers will also have a clear view of the degradation of ecosystem services on their farms and will receive professional advice and funding to make them resilient to climate change & #8221;

& #8220; Under the new investment program, landowners will be literally managers of environmental assets and its decisions to protect key ecosystem services & #8211; as native vegetation and streams & #8211; contribute directly to the restoration of the Cerrado landscape, ”says Giulia Carbone, Deputy Director of IUCN's Business and Biodiversity Program.

In the first year, the four companies pledged nearly US$ 100,000 to support the Consortium. In addition, it has received a donation of US$ 400,000, the largest to date, from Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF Cerrado) to implement the new scheme called Investment Program for Conscious Producers. This was the largest grant ever awarded by CEPF, which has donors such as the French Development Agency, Conservation International, the European Union, the World Environment Fund, the Government of Japan and the World Bank.

Gláucio de Castro, President of the Cerrado Water Consortium. Photos: FUNDACCER Collection

“Lavazza firmly believes that sustainability is a shared responsibility and that integrating economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection is the only paradigm that can create value. As a multi-stakeholder initiative, the Cerrado Water Consortium has demonstrated why companies need to take a long-term approach and contribute to the broader scenario we work in, ”says Mario Cerutti, Lavazza's Director of Institutional Relations and Sustainability.

The region of Cerrado It covers 21% of the country and 11 million hectares are in the state of Minas Gerais. Its biome is unique given the number of endemic species. In addition, the region provides 40% from fresh water 29 of the river basins are in “water conflict areas”, according to the Minas Gerais Institute for Water Management (IGAM).

 “Promote the restoration and conservation of ecosystem services as insurance against climate change is a fundamental objective of the investment program, ”says Miguel Moraes, senior director of Conservation International Brazil. “In Sponsorship, where the community and coffee farmers share the only river basin, farmers will be able to manage water flow for the first time. Producers will also have a clear view of the degradation of ecosystem services on their properties and will receive professional advice and funding to help make these services resilient to climate change. ”

All of these efforts are critical to restoring the landscape and ensuring that coffee value chains are sustainable. As Peggy Poncelet, grant director of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund says, “The goal is to achieve chemical-free restoration with native Cerrado species and to provide coffee growers with knowledge of smart farming practices and water management to reconcile coffee. sustainable production, and conservation of this important global biodiversity hotspot. For example, partnerships with local agroecological laboratories such as Emater (a public sector organization offering rural extension) will help to test new technologies to reduce weeds and disease incidence and ultimately restore the landscape. ”

About the Cerrado Water Consortium

Created in 2015, the Cerrado das Águas Consortium, a legally independent organization, is a platform that brings together companies, civil society organizations and government representatives to promote environmental development through landscape restoration and maintenance of Cerrado ecosystem services. . Consortium members include: CerVivo, Conservation International, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), Cooxupé, Expocaccer, Cerrado Coffee Growers Federation, IUCN, Lavazza, Nespresso and Nestlé.

For more information, visit the Cerrado das Águas Consortium website at site from IUCN.

Area under restoration in Patrocínio, Minas Gerais.

Conscious Producers Awards Program - Restoring Cerrado Ecosystem Services

The project “Awards Program for Conscious Producers - Restoring Ecosystem Services in the Cerrado” is executed by Cerrado Mineiro Development Foundation (FUNDACCER). The central objective of the project is to establish and implement a strategy to restore the provision of ecosystem services in the basin of Ugly Stream in the long term through a process of engagement of local producers and actors. FUNDACCER is a non-profit organization created by the Coffee Growers Federation to promote research, training and social cohesion in 55 municipalities of the Cerrado mineiro. These coffee producers saw the need to act to ensure long-term climate security in the region. Thus, the Cerrado Water Consortium works collaboratively to build transformative scenarios that result in productive and sustainable landscapes with the goal of:

1. Improve soil and water management practices.
2. Promote the restoration of native vegetation and conservation of ecological corridors at the regional level.
3. Facilitate the exchange of information through technical extension services for farmers in order to improve environmental practices.
4. Encourage and facilitate the process of legal regularization of farms, seeking compliance with the Forest Code.
The project is supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund) and Brazilian International Institute of Education (IEB).

Learn more about Cerrado Water Consortium it's the Conscious Producer Program in the video below:

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of the French Development Agency, Conservation International, the European Union, Global Environmental Management, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A key goal is to ensure that civil society is involved in biodiversity conservation.

 

 

Global coffee brands and organizations endorse innovative program led by Cerrado Water Consortium

via Agricultural News / Source: Cerrado Water Consortium

An innovative climate-smart investment program to preserve biodiversity and water supply in the Southern Region will begin this month. Cerrado Mineiro, the only Designation of Origin for coffee in Brazil, a major supplier of high quality coffee, responsible for 12% of national coffee production.

The initiative is from Cerrado Water Consortium, a platform of different actors (producers, coffee brands, local and global environmental NGOs) whose efforts have resulted in the founding of a legally independent organization with a highly specialized team to promote environmental development through restoration, climate smart agriculture and efficient management. of water resources. Based on initial support from IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature and Nespresso, the major coffee brands Nestlé and Lavazza and the Expocaccer cooperative have teamed up to make a five-year commitment to support the Conscious Producer Investment Program. which brings together in a coordinated manner these three work fronts aiming at improving the supply and provision of ecosystem regulatory services (water health, soil, carbon stock among others) in order to achieve climate resilience or shielding of a landscape or territory.

Gláucio de Castro, President of the Cerrado Water Consortium. Photos: FUNDACCER Collection

In the pilot area, the Ugly Stream in Sponsorship (MG), the Consortium plans to invest in protecting the natural ecosystems found in approximately 124 properties throughout the basin, the only one to supply Brazil's largest coffee-producing municipality and a serious case of water scarcity and conflict. “The new investment program will provide financial incentives. and expertise for all landowners to make their environmental assets healthier and more productive in this important watershed, ”said Giulia Carbone, IUCN Business and Biodiversity Program Director. “Landlords will literally and in practice be managers of environmental assets, and their decisions to protect key ecosystem services - such as forests and rivers - will directly contribute to the restoration of the Cerrado landscape.”

This year, companies have committed to investing US$100,000 to fund the consortium team. In addition, in 2019, the Consortium received a grant of US$400 thousand from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) to implement the program. This was the largest grant ever awarded by CEPF, which has demanding donors such as the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union, the World Environment Fund (GEF), the Government of Japan and the World Bank.

"O Cerrado Water Consortium demonstrated why companies need to take a long-term approach and contribute to the broader landscape where we work. Similarly, the public sector must commit to ensuring that these innovative solutions are scaled up and capable of delivering lasting benefits to the region's population. ”According to Mario Cerruti, Global Director of Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Lavazza. Read full article on the site Agricultural News!

Cerrado Release Water Consortium, Sponsorship, Minas Gerais, August 08 to 09, 2019. Photos: FUNDACCER Collection

The project #8220; Awards Program for Conscious Producers & #8211; restoring ecosystem services in the Cerrado & #8221; is executed by Cerrado Mineiro Development Foundation (FUNDACCER). The central objective of the project is to establish and implement a strategy to restore the provision of ecosystem services in the basin of Ugly Stream in the long term through a process of engagement of local producers and actors. FUNDACCER is a non-profit organization created by the Coffee Growers Federation to promote research, training and social cohesion in 55 municipalities of the Cerrado mineiro. These coffee producers saw the need to act to ensure long-term climate security in the region. Thus, the Cerrado Water Consortium works collaboratively to build transformative scenarios that result in productive and sustainable landscapes with the goal of:

1. Improve soil and water management practices.
2. Promote the restoration of native vegetation and conservation of ecological corridors at the regional level.
3. Facilitate the exchange of information through technical extension services for farmers in order to improve environmental practices.
4. Encourage and facilitate the process of legal regularization of farms, seeking compliance with the Forest Code.

Michael Becker, Coordinator of CEPF Implementation Strategy Cerrado at launch Cerrado Water Consortium, Patrocínio, Minas Gerais, August 08 to 09, 2019. Photos: FUNDACCER Collection

The project is supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund) and Brazilian International Institute of Education (IEB).

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of the French Development Agency, Conservation International, the European Union, Global Environmental Management, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A key goal is to ensure that civil society is involved in biodiversity conservation.